Today in History:

466 Series I Volume XXX-II Serial 51 - Chickamauga Part II

Page 466 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.

souri) battery, commanded by First Lieutenant R. L. Wood, and attached to Gregg's brigade for reasons not known to me, followed their brigades or participated in our fight for Missionary Ridge, where they would have won unfading laurels for every officer and man attached to them.

The gallant conduct of my brigade inspector (Second Lieutenant M. W. Black, of the Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment) distinguished him throughout my command, and I feel that I can scarcely do justice to his services. He was always, in the moments of severest conflict, among the foremost ranks, reckless and indifferent to danger. Ardent, active, and zealous, he has proven himself a most valuable officer on the field of battle. While personally aiding in directing a piece of artillery in the fight on Missionary Ridge on September 20, he was severely wounded by a ball that crushed his lower jaw and carried away a part of his tongue. His speedy recovery is, however, now hopefully anticipated.

To my aide-de-camp (Captain W. T. Blakemore), who has served with me in every conflict of this army, as well as at Donelson, and always with honor and ability, I am indebted for much valuable service on the field, and he merits more than I can say for him here.

My brigade inspector (Lieutenant E. R. Smith, of the Twenty-fifth Tennessee Regiment) and my acting aide-de-camp (Second Lieutenant George Marchbanks, of the C. S. Army) gallantly and faithfully labored with me on September 19 and 20, and I desire to acknowledge my obligations to them for the zeal and intelligence with which they performed their respective duties.

To the medical staff of each brigade of this division I desire to tender my grateful acknowledgments for their faithful and efficient services in taking care of the wounded.

To my efficient ordnance officer (Lieutenant James B. Lake) I feel that a special acknowledgment is due, as well for all his faithful services past as for the prompt supplies which he furnished my whole division from a brigade ordnance train, and yet at the close of the battle exhibiting greater abundance of stores on hand than at its commencement.

In conclusion, it will be observed that the severest conflicts in which my command was engaged on the field of Chickamauga occurred on the evening of the 19th and in the morning and evening of September 20.

On the evening of the 19th, my command suffered as much in three hours as during the whole day of September 20. On Sunday, my command suffered severely until the enemy's breastworks were carried in the morning, and again during the contest for the spur of Missionary Ridge in the evening.

My division commenced to fight in the front line on September 19 and fought in the front line through the conflict of both days, and at the close was far in advance of all support, as it was also at different times during the latter day. The strength of my command and the number of casualties are hereunto appended.

The lists of killed, wounded, and missing in Gregg's and Johnson's brigades were forwarded on September 29, but no list has yet been furnished by McNair's brigade, and the aggregates are only given by Colonel Coleman,who commanded this brigade after General McNair was wounded. I have received no report from Brigadier-Generals McNair or Gregg.


Page 466 KY.,SW.VA.,TENN.,MISS.,N.ALA., AND N.GA. Chapter XLII.